Japanese perspective on guns

fosters.com

Writer

Posted Dec. 26, 2012 at 3:15 AM

Posted Dec. 26, 2012 at 3:15 AM

There were many things that impressed me about Japan, having spent nearly 12 years in the country as a young man. Most poignant was the ability of the large Japanese population (about half that of the U.S.) to coexist in relative peace and harmony in a nation about the size of California. Japan, with its thriving democracy; enjoys many freedoms, a very high standard of living and one of the world’s highest longevity rates. Despite its diminutive size and dearth of natural resources, Japan has the planet’s third largest economy.

Japan is an old country relative to the U.S. I discovered Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, in every nook and cranny, which were several hundred years older than our nation. We could learn lots from our humble and gracious Japanese friends. Japan’s murder, rape and robbery rates are absolutely minuscule compared to those of the U.S.

As a Japanophile, it was quite simple for me to predict the general Japanese reaction to our latest national tragedy. I viewed a series of spontaneous interviews, online, regarding the U.S. gun culture, conducted with six ordinary Japanese citizens outside of Metropolitan Tokyo’s Shimbashi Train Station. The following is a translation of their indicative thoughts:

The distinguished middle-aged man in the dark business suit stated, “The U.S. is recognized as a modern democracy in the world, but when it comes to guns, it is a barbaric and undeveloped country.”

The young male college student said, “I was surprised to hear that possessing a gun is legal in the U.S. It is totally illegal in Japan.”

The attractive mature woman wearing the red jacket and black scarf asserted, “It is absurd that a normal family has a gun. It enables anyone to cause a crime whenever they get upset. That is very strange. I wish the U.S. will start strict gun control from now on like Japan. We can walk very safely at night in Japan. I sincerely wish the U.S. will become a safe country like ours. “

The spectacled middle-aged man suggested, “If this kind of shooting continues, teachers have to arm themselves. It’s terrible. We no longer live in the Wild West.”

The pretty young lady with the black scarf and pink shirt mentioned, “Horrific murders in Japan would never involve the use of guns, like in America.”

The elderly gentleman adorned in the tweed sport-coat lamented, “Freedom is very important but we are not perfect and get angry very quickly. Having something that can hurt or kill others in arms reach is no good. I am sad rather than angry.”

Although a supporter of the 2nd Amendment’s original intent, I find it naturally easy to rationalize and pragmatically accept the opinions of my Japanese friends and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg who described the NRA as, “Instead of offering solutions to a problem they have helped create, they offered a paranoid, dystopian vision of a more dangerous and violent America where everyone is armed and no place is safe.”